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All posts for the month March, 2009

Opening day is just around the corner here in Cincinnati. Some years back, I followed The Reds religiously going to at least 20 games a year.

It was a blast hanging out at Riverfront Stadium, eating a few hot dogs and drinking too many beers. Hell, I even enjoyed doubleheaders.

Things have a way of changing.

There are a few reasons why I’ve lost some interest – losing season after losing season being the main one – but I also have no desire to give my money to the Great American Ballpark and then get punished for being a smoker.

I totally understand not being able to smoke in my seat – no problem with that at all. Back when the ballpark first opened, there was a large open area where smokers could go and light up. There were plenty of “butt” containers around and we were treated with respect. The Great American Ballpark understood our choice to be smokers.

That’s all changed over the past few years. Now, if you want to light up a cigarette, you have to leave the ballpark, smoke, then pay again to get back in.

That’s not respect, that’s robbery.

I don’t know if this is how it is in other ballparks in other cities. I don’t live in other cities. I live here and this policy is bullshit.

Being a smoker doesn’t make me a second class citizen. If that’s the way Great American Ballpark views me, I’ll stay away.

Don’t take me out to the ballgame. I won’t be buying expensive hot dogs and beers. I’ll be staying home, saving my money and listening to The Reds on the radio.

Let’s leave cloudy Cincinnati for a little bit and do a little traveling. Doesn’t that sound like fun?

Let’s go to Washington D.C. and find out what Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi thinks about congress woman Michelle Bachman. Crooks and Liars give us the details. As for me, I think she’s kind of pretty, but then she has to open her mouth.

Staying in Washington, what should we do for brunch? Interested in having some fried chicken with waffles? Sounds gross? Wonkabout doesn’t think so.

And now we’ll take the train up to New York. That Bill O’Reilly: he’s quite a kidder but UPS isn’t happy about this blogger-stalking controversy and is pulling advertising from Mr. Bill’s show. Think Progress fills us in.

So this bobcat walks into a bar. No, seriously. In Arizona, a bobcat does walk into a bar. The Huffington Post gives us the story. No word as to what kind of cocktail the bobcat ordered.

Let’s go to L.A. and Real Time with Bill Maher. It was another great show Friday night but things really got heated on “Over Time” which comes on Bill’s HBO web site after the hour is done on television. Christopher Hitchens and Mos Def had a bit of a shouting match. Suggestion to Mos Def: when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

Our little trip is over. Let’s return to Cincinnati where Rick Hines, USNationNet publisher will be returning next week from Florida.

Hey Rick, after you get done with The Cincinnati Nation work, let’s you and me rent a truck and pick up all those empty Pulse boxes still on the downtown sidewalks. Maybe we could sell them and get a little drinking money. I mean, dear old Roger apparently doesn’t want them.

In this week’s CityBeat, I wrote the Living Out Loud column called “Hump Day.”

In the column, I write about friends who are able to hold on during this bad economy by doing jobs they maybe wouldn’t be doing if things were better. I also write about people who beg for money on the street. I wonder why some can pull themselves up during this difficult time while others can’t or won’t.

But let me keep the question simple. . .

When someone you encounter on the sidewalk asks for money, do you have a problem saying no or is it easy for you to just walk away?